I'd like to feel that whatever I play is a result of whatever I've heard.

I always felt as a horn player, a jam session wasn't satisfying enough for me. I should have been a rhythm section player, actually.

We all learn from each other, and I never really hung out with guys in that way, so I missed out.

I could stop and say, Well that was a D minor, G seven, but I really don't want to know that. I just want to know that there's a combination of notes that makes a sound.

Names and theoretical things don't occur to me. If they do, I'm not doing my real playing mode.

Bernstein grew up in my building in New York. He's a very, very fine player. When he was a kid, he came by to find out what was going on in the world of jazz.

I understood that if I wanted to work, the saxophone was the main instrument. The clarinet was what we call a double.